Armrest assembly for a motor vehicle door

ABSTRACT

An armrest assembly for a motor vehicle door provides an armrest that may be positionally adjusted by a drive unit and a transfer member which may be displaced along an adjustment direction on activating the drive unit. The armrest may be connected to the drive unit. The position of the armrest in the motor vehicle door may be adjusted in the vehicle longitudinal direction and/or in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinal direction and perpendicular to the adjusting direction of the armrest.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a National Phase Patent Application of InternationalApplication Number PCT/DE01/04677, filed on Dec. 6, 2001, which claimspriority of German Patent Application Number 100 60 857.4, filed Dec. 6,2000, and German Patent Application Number 101 04 077.6, filed Jan. 29,2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an armrest assembly for a motor vehicle door.

The invention relates, more particularly, to an armrest which may beadjustable in position, more particularly in its vertical position, bymeans of a drive unit, and a transfer member which may be plate-shapedand displaced along an adjustment direction on activating the drive unitto which the armrest may be connected. The coupling between the driveunit and the transfer member can be produced through gearing throughwhich the transfer member is displaced when the drive unit is activated.

DE 40 02 243 A1 provides a vertically adjustable armrest provided on thedoor of a motor vehicle which has a guide for moving the armrest up anddown, and means for fixing the armrest in a desired position. The guideis thereby mounted together with the drive elements of the adjustablearmrest on a base plate which is fixed on the inside panel of the door.There is a shortcoming of this design, however, in that fixing the baseplate of the vertically adjustable armrest on the inside panel of thedoor also fixes at the same time the position of the armrest relative tothe inside trim of the door which as a design element covers the insidepanel of the door from the interior space of the vehicle.

Since the position of the inside trim in relation to the inside panel ofthe door has a restricted tolerance this results in differentarrangements of the armrest relative to the inside trim which aredependent on tolerance. This has a detrimental effect on the design of avehicle door.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide an armrest assembly asgenerally described above, but which overcomes the drawbacks mentionedabove.

This is achieved according to the invention by providing an armrestassembly. The position of the armrest of the armrest assembly in thevehicle door can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of thevehicle and/or in a direction generally perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction as well as generally perpendicular to theadjusting direction of the armrest.

Tolerances which exist between the individual structural assemblies ofthe vehicle door, more particularly between the inside door panel andthe inside door trim, can be compensated so that the armrest occupies adefined position relative to the inside trim.

The invention is particularly suitable for use with armrests which havea modular type adjusting mechanism in which the drive unit, theassociated gearing and the transfer member are mounted on a commonsupport which can be fixed on a vehicle door, more particularly on theinside panel thereof. The drive, gearing and transfer member can make upone pre-checkable structural unit which, when the drive unit isactivated, generates an adjusting movement of the transfer memberwithout this modular unit already being installed in the vehicle door.The adjusting mechanism of the armrest can therefore be pre-fittedcomplete on a support and checked for functional reliability away from avehicle door.

After the adjusting mechanism has been installed in a vehicle door, theposition of the adjustable armrest which can be connected to thetransfer member either before or after the adjusting mechanism has beeninstalled in the vehicle door, is then adjusted so that a definedpredeterminable position of the armrest relative to the inside door trimis then produced.

Adjusting the position of the armrest relative to the inside door trimis thereby carried out so that the armrest can be displaced verticallywithout the inside trim becoming curved through contact with thearmrest. At the same time the clearances between the armrest and insidedoor trim are set so that they remain out of sight as much as possiblefrom the vehicle occupant.

A guide extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and which thearmrest engages by a guide element, may serve to adjust the position ofthe armrest in the vehicle longitudinal direction in an exemplaryembodiment.

The guide element can be for example a connecting element through whichthe armrest is connected to the transfer member which can be displacedin order to adjust the height of the armrest.

The connecting element may advantageously extend in a spacer elementwhich is connected to the armrest, more particularly the connectingelement may be moulded in one piece with same, and can be moved togetherwith the connecting element in the aforementioned guide in the vehiclelongitudinal direction. An additional or alternative possibility foradjustment in the vehicle longitudinal direction is provided if theconnecting element is movable in the spacer element in the vehiclelongitudinal direction so that the armrest can be positionally adjustedrelative to the transfer member in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

The guide which is provided for adjusting the armrest in the vehiclelongitudinal direction extends in the inner trim of the door and isadvantageously provided at its edge with a guide frame which hasparticularly good sliding properties. The transfer member on the onehand and the armrest on the other are arranged on either side of theinside door trim so that the guide extends between the transfer memberand armrest.

Adjusting the position of the armrest perpendicular to the vehiclelongitudinal direction and perpendicular to the adjusting direction ofthe armrest may be carried out by means of an elastically deformableelement which can be disposed, for example, between the inside door trimand the transfer member, or between the inside door trim and thearmrest.

Through the deformation of this elastic element which may be a spring orrubber element in various exemplary embodiments, it is possible toadjust the distance between the armrest and, where applicable, thetransfer member and the inside door trim whereby the deformation of theelastic element is preferably undertaken at the same time by actuatingthe connecting element through which the armrest is connected to thetransfer member. For this purpose the connecting element can act on theelastic element for example through the spacer element which surroundsthe connecting element.

Furthermore, guide rails on which the transfer member is guided can beprovided on the support plate on which the adjusting mechanism of thearmrest can be prefitted. In order to accommodate the drive motor thesupport can have a trough which surrounds the drive at least in part.The gearing which transfers the drive force of the motor to the transfermember has at least one gearing part which can be moved along the guiderail and which can advantageously be mounted in a space enclosed by theguide rail. Fixing means provided on the gearing part are used to fixthe transfer member which is guided, in turn, along the guide rails bymeans of suitable sliders. The gearing can be for example a spindle orrack and pinion gearing which couples the drive to the transfer member.

Another aspect of the invention is a method for assembling an armrestassembly in a vehicle door. According to this exemplary embodiment, thearmrest of the armrest structural assembly is adjusted relative to theinside door trim in the vehicle longitudinal direction and/or in asecond direction perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinal direction aswell as perpendicular to the adjusting direction of the armrest.

The adjustment in the vehicle longitudinal direction may be undertakenby means of a guide provided for this purpose and which extends in thisdirection whereas the adjustment in the second direction is undertakenby deformation of an elastic element provided for this purpose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention will now be explainedin the following detailed description with reference to embodimentsillustrated in the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 a shows a perspective view of an exemplary adjusting mechanismfor an armrest;

FIGS. 1 b-1 d show three different views of the exemplary adjustingmechanism of FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment that is generally a first modificationof the adjusting mechanism of FIGS. 1 a-1 d;

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment that is generally a second modificationof the adjusting mechanism of FIGS. 1 a-1 d;

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment that is generally a third modificationof the adjusting mechanism of FIGS. 1 a-1 d;

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment that is generally a fourth modificationof the adjusting mechanism of FIGS. 1 a-1 d;

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment for a manual drive of a vertically adjustablearmrest;

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary embodiment of a modification of the embodimentof FIG. 6 with respect to the actuating element of the manual drive;

FIG. 8 shows a sectional view through a fixing area between an exemplaryarmrest and a transfer member of the adjusting mechanism;

FIG. 9 a shows a cross-sectional view through the fixing area of theembodiment shown in to FIG. 8;

FIG. 9 b shows an exemplary embodiment of a modification of theembodiment of FIG. 9 a;

FIG. 10 shows a sectional view through a fixing area according to FIG. 9b;

FIG. 11 shows an exemplary embodiment of a fixing area near a cardpocket of a vehicle door;

FIG. 12 is a partial perspective view that shows further details of theexemplary embodiment of FIG. 11;

FIGS. 13 a/13 b show two different views of an inside door trim; and

FIG. 14 shows the inside door trim according to FIGS. 13 a and 13 b withbuilt-in armrest.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 13 a and 13 b show a view seen from the inside door panel and aview seen from inside the vehicle, respectively, of an inside door trimI which is used to cover and line the inside panel of the vehicle doorin the inner space of the vehicle. The inside door trim I has on itsreverse side two spacer elements D which are supported by their endsthat face away from the inside trim on the inside door panel or on abase plate connected to the inside panel when the inside door trim I isfixed on the inside door panel. The distance between the inside doortrim and inside door panel is thereby fixed. The spacer elements D arehollow cylindrical forms so that fixing screws can be passed throughsame to fix the inside door trim on the inside door panel.

The inside door trim I furthermore has a clearance F which enables thearmrest to be fitted. Underneath the clearance F there are fixing sitesB for fixing a décor strip on the inside door panel 1.

FIG. 14 shows the inside door trim in a view from inside the vehicle andaccording to FIG. 13 b. FIG. 14 shows an armrest assembly having anarmrest A which has a grab indent G. Furthermore a switch block S ismounted in front of the armrest A through which electrical functioncomponents of the vehicle such as for example electric window lifters orelectric seat adjusters can be operated.

Underneath the armrest A there is a décor strip Z fixed on the insidedoor trim I. Underneath the décor strip Z there are a card pocket K andspeaker cover L.

Details of the armrest assembly will now be explained with reference toFIGS. 1 a to 12. The assembly includes a height-adjustable armrest A(i.e. adjustable along the vertical vehicle axis z), as well as meansfor adjusting the armrest A relative to the inside door trim I along thepredetermined directions x,y.

FIG. 1 a shows a front, perspective view of an adjusting mechanism foran armrest as a pre-fitted structural unit which is designed for use ina door box of a motor vehicle door and which is fixed through severalfixing sites 10 on the inside door panel or a base plate (door modulesupport) which is connectable therewith FIGS. 1 b-1 d show the rearview, side view and plan view relative to the front perspective view ofthe structural unit of FIG. 1 a which can be used to adjust the heightof an armrest substantially along the vertical vehicle axis (z-axis).

A one-piece base element 1 whose edge areas are shaped as guide rails 1a, 1 b and are connected together through a web 1 c which includesseveral bends to accommodate the motor 4, makes up the support of thestructural unit. Reduction gears 41 are mounted in the guide rails 1 a,1 b so that a spindle 42 can be adjusted vertically along the relevantguide rail 1 a. The driving force of the motor 4 is transferred fromeach drive shaft 40 to the gearing 41 whereby the drive shafts 40 can beinserted through a slot area of the base element 1 until they reachtheir ideal position.

A support plate 2′ (shown transparently in FIG. 1 a), on which thearmrest is to be fitted and which serves as a transfer member fortransferring an adjusting movement of the spindle to the armrest, isguided by means of sliders 3 along the adjusting path on the guide rails1 a, 1 b. The adjusting force is introduced from the spindles 42 intothe support plate 2′ is through the fixing sites 43.

In another exemplary embodiment in which stable guide conditions aremaintained along the adjusting path, the adjustment can also be carriedout by only one spindle mounted roughly centrally between the guiderails 1 a, 1 b. In another exemplary embodiment, a rack and pinioncombination can be used in place of a spindle.

The structure described is characterised by high rigidity, the abilityto precheck all functioning parameters of the adjusting mechanismoutside of the vehicle door and—as a result of the symmetricalconstruction—by its ability to be used for left and right hand doors.Furthermore the support plate 2′ which in the installed state facesinwards (towards the inside of the vehicle) and which covers thestructural components of the adjusting mechanism, ensures that in theevent of a side impact crash it guards against the penetration of sharpedges and the like. Correspondingly the adjusting mechanism isadvantageously mounted as deep as possible inside the door in anexemplary embodiment.

If the corresponding vehicle is equipped with an electronic memorydevice for starting up stored setting parameters, then in addition tothe positions for the seat, mirror and steering wheel, differentpositions for the armrest can also be started up automatically.Furthermore if the adjustment of the armrest is to take place by using awindow lifter drive provided with anti-nip (i.e., anti-jamming)protection, then the anti-nip protection can also be readily producedcost-effectively for the armrest adjustment using the same electronicsin an exemplary embodiment. A need for anti-jamming protection of thearmrest can arise in particular if when the armrest is lowered a gap isreduced (e.g. between the upper edge of a stowage compartment) where thedimensions could be suitable for nipping parts of the body.

FIGS. 2 to 5 show different exemplary embodiments, in particular,modifications of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 a to 1 d whereby the samereference numerals are used for those component parts and assemblieswhich coincide with those in FIGS. 1 a to 1 d. For a more detailedexplanation of these structural parts and groups, reference is made tothe details given for FIGS. 1 a to 1 d.

The diagrammatic view of FIG. 2 shows an adjusting mechanism 1 a, 1 b,2′, 3 for an armrest which can correspond for example to the structuraltype according to FIGS. 1 a to 1 d and which is mounted on a base plate5 of a vehicle door (door module support). Two guide rails 6 a, 6 b of acable window lifter, for example, extend on the side of the base plate 5which is remote from the adjusting mechanism 1 a, 1 b, 2′, 3, andprovides water-proof covering of a large-surface assembly opening in theinner skin of a door box. The adjusting mechanism, which is combinedinto one structural unit which can be prefitted and pre-checked on abase element 1 (see FIGS. 1 a to 1 d), is integrated into a larger doormodule which is mounted on a base plate 5 in the illustrated embodiment.

According to the diagrammatic illustration of FIG. 3 the edge areas of aplate-shaped base element 60 of the adjusting mechanism 1 a, 1 b, 2′, 3itself are shaped into guide rails for a window lifter. The supportplate 2′ of the armrest adjuster is guided through followers 3 onseparate guide rails 1 a, 1 b which are fixed on the base element 60 ofthe adjusting mechanism.

An even higher degree of integration is achieved according to theexemplary embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5. Both the guide rails 6 a, 6 b ofa cable window lifter and also the guide rails 1 a, 1 b of the armrestadjuster are hereby integrated in one piece in a support 5′ which formsboth the base element of the adjusting mechanism for an armrest and alsothe base plate of a larger door module which may additionally include awindow lifter in an exemplary embodiment. The guide rails 1 a, 1 b, 6 a,6 b are formed by curvatures protruding on alternate sides and havingslots for receiving and guiding the followers 11, 61.

In order to be able to ensure an effective wet/dry space separation in avehicle door using the support 5′, the slots of the guide rails may besealed. This can be achieved in simple manner through an adhesive strip50 which is stuck onto the base surface of the support 5′ so that thearea of the curvature is covered.

In an exemplary embodiment, a common motor may be provided for bothadjusting devices. Such an arrangement reduces the material expensefurther and saves weight and costs. According to the diagrammaticillustration of FIG. 4 the axes of a gearing 70 for the window lifterand gearing 72 for the armrest adjustment are mounted coaxial. A motor 7is coupled directly to the gearing 70 of the window lifter through whichthe adjusting force can be passed onto a cable drum 71 when anassociated clutch 73 is not activated. When the clutch 73 is activatedthe force flow to the cable drum 71 is interrupted and instead the forceis passed onto the gearing 72 for the armrest adjustment. Passing theadjusting force through the gearing 70 of the window lifter has theadvantage that the cost for the reduction gearing 72 of the armrestadjustment can be considerably reduced. The adjusting speed of thearmrest may be 2 to 3 cm per second below the adjusting speed of thewindow pane in one exemplary embodiment.

According to the diagrammatic illustration of the exemplary embodimentof FIG. 5 the axes of the two gears 70 and 72 run parallel. The drivingforce of the motor is supplied by means of the clutch 73 to one or otherof the adjusting devices according to requirements. A multiple use ofgear stages is not provided here.

FIG. 6 shows an armrest 2 (arm support) which is suspended for swivelmovement about an axis 220 and which can be adjusted manuallyindependently by a handle part 2 a fixed in the door. A grab handle 20which can swivel a restricted amount about a further axis 201 functionsas the drive lever and is in active connection with a step switchmechanism (not shown) through the said axis 201. The structure andfunction of such exemplary step switch mechanisms are provided in DE 4120 617 C2 and DE 43 21 335 C2, for example.

If no adjustment of the armrest is undertaken then the grab handle 20 islocated in a neutral position (solid line) which may be locked in orderto prevent any undesired adjusting movements. In order to be able tomake an adjustment to the incline or height of the armrest, first theunlocking button 200 is pressed and then the grab handle is swivelleddown in order to lower the armrests or the grab handle is swivelled upin order to raise the armrest. A return spring (not shown) may beprovided to ensure that the grab handle automatically returns to itsneutral position in which it forms one uniform contour with the switchblock 21 which supports the switches 210.

The diagrammatic illustration of FIG. 7 differs from the embodiment ofFIG. 6 in that the grip part 2 a and the armrest form one commonadjustable unit.

FIG. 8 shows a cross-section through a fixing area between an armrest 2and the associated support plate 2′ of the adjusting mechanism.According to this embodiment, a spacer element in the form of a spacersleeve 20 a is moulded in one piece on the armrest 2 and its free end issupported on a preferably spring-elastic further spacer element 21′ withfitted metal disc 210′ which in turn is mounted on the support plate 2′.The connecting force required to fix the armrest 2 on its support plate2′ is applied by a threaded bolt 200 a which passes through the spacersleeve 20 a, the further elastic spacer element 21′ and the supportplate 2′ and clamps them together with an associated nut 200 b inforce-locking connection. The elastic spacer element 21′ serves toprovide a rattle-free spacing between the adjusting mechanism, moreparticularly the support plate 2′ of the armrest 2, and the inside doortrim 9 and may be formed in one piece on the support plate 2 accordingto an exemplary embodiment.

An inside door trim 9 which extends between the armrest 2 and thesupport plate 2′ which are moved in unison when adjusting the height ofthe armrest 2, has a slot 92 extending in the adjusting direction zalong the common adjusting path of the armrest 2 whereby the spacersleeve 20 a and the threaded bolt 200 a are guided in the slot in theadjusting direction z of the armrest 2 and the edge of the slot isprovided with a frame which forms a slide element 90. In order to ensuresmooth running, the spacer sleeve 20 a is designed so that the edge ofthe inner trim 9 or the slide element 90 fitted thereon does not becomeclamped between the fixing area of the armrest 2 and the elastic spacerelement 21′ or support plate 2′.

Since the spacer element 21′ is designed elastically as a spring element(e.g. a plate spring) or the like (e.g. as a rubber block) action on thespacer element 21′ by means of the threaded bolt 200 a through thespacer sleeve 20 a in a direction y across the adjusting direction z ofthe armrest 2, and across the vehicle longitudinal direction x, can bothensure a sufficient spacing between the inside door trim 9 and thesupport plate 2′, and also provide the means for positioning the area ofthe armrest 2 which serves for fixing on the support plate 2′ inrelation to the edge 90 of the slot 92 in the inner trim 9 as requiredfor a specific type of door. On tightening up the screw bolt 200 a andthe associated nut 200 b, the spring elastic spacer element 21′ becomesincreasingly compressed through the action of the spacer sleeve 20 ainto which forces are introduced by the nut 200 b through a washer 201 buntil the armrest 2 and the support plate 2′ have reached the desiredposition in relation to the inside door trim 9. More particularly, theplay dy with which the inside trim 9 or its slide element 90 is guidedbetween the armrest 2 and the support plate 2′, is set to a desiredvalue which enables a sufficiently friction-free movement of the armrest2 and support plate 2′ relative to the inside door trim 9 along theadjusting direction z (see also FIG. 9 a) and on the other hand theclearance is minimised such that there is essentially no sign of the gapbetween the armrest 2 and inside door trim 9 to a vehicle occupant. Theplay dy is shown in FIG. 8 by way of example between the elastic spacersleeve 21′ or the metal disc 210 mounted thereon and the slide element90 of the inside door trim 9. Play dy represents the entire play orvariance with which the slide element 90 is mounted between the elasticspacer element 21′ and the fixing area of the armrest 2. After adjustingthe position of the arm rest 2 by compressing the elastic spacer element21′ a small gap remains between the fixing area of the armrest 2 and theslide element 90, but which is not visible by the occupant (and also inFIG. 8), in order to avoid excessive friction when the armrest isdisplaced along the slot 92 in the adjusting direction.

Furthermore the spacer sleeve 20 a according to FIG. 9 a has thecross-section of an oblong hole 20′a which extends in the longitudinaldirection x of the vehicle and through which the threaded bolt 200 a ispassed, and thus provides, by means of a guide 92′ formed through theoblong hole, for compensating the tolerance between the armrest 2 andsupport plate 2′ (and thus also between the armrest 2 and inside doortrim 9) by a predetermined amount 2*d×2 in the vehicle longitudinaldirection x (driving direction). Furthermore the spacer sleeve is guidedwith a defined play 2*d×1 relative to the vehicle longitudinal directionx in the gap 90 of the inside door trim 9 so that the armrest 2 and thesupport plate 2′ can furthermore be adjusted jointly relative to theinside door trim in the vehicle longitudinal direction x.

The areas shaded in FIG. 9 a represent the supporting faces 91 and 210′between the slide 90 on the edge side and the arm rest 2 or spacerelement 21′ on one side and between the spacer bush 20 a and spacerelement 21′ on the other side.

In an exemplary embodiment, the armrest 2 and support plate 2′ areconnected using two fixing and guide areas provided one above the otheralong the guide slot 92 in the adjusting direction z. The lower of thetwo superposed fixing and guide areas, which is generally out of sightfor the vehicle occupant, can be designed simpler to save costs, asshown in FIG. 10 together with the associated illustration in FIG. 9 b.The guide of the armrest 2 in the guide slot 92 through the upper fixingarea as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 a may be sufficiently precise such thatthere is no need for slide elements 90 and the spacer element 21′ in thelower fixing area for guiding the armrest in the guide slot 92 accordingto an exemplary embodiment. The spacer sleeve 20 a moulded in one pieceon the armrest 2 is then supported directly on the support plate 2′through an area 210″ shown shaded in FIG. 9 b.

FIG. 11 shows a section through a fixing area between the inside doortrim in the region of a card pocket 9′, 9″ and a fixing bracket 22′angled out from the support plate 2′ of the armrest. A perspectiveillustration of a section of the support plate 2′ is also provided inFIG. 12. In this embodiment, a screw connection 200′a, 200′b is providedwith a spacer bush 20 a which is set in a comparatively larger openingof the inside trim in order to provide sufficient clearance forcompensating tolerances between the inside trim 9 and the adjustingmechanism or its support plate

1. An armrest assembly for a motor vehicle door, comprising an armrestpositionally adjustable through a drive unit, a spacer element which isintegrally molded as one piece with the armrest; a transfer member towhich the armrest is connectable and which is movable along an adjustingdirection of the armrest when the drive unit is activated; at least oneguide; at least one connecting element which extends within the spacerelement and is movable together with the spacer element in a guide ofthe at least one guide; wherein the armrest is further positionallyadjustable in at least one of a vehicle longitudinal direction and afurther direction that is perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinaldirection and perpendicular to the adjusting direction of the armrest,wherein the at least one guide aligns the armrest in the vehiclelongitudinal direction and simultaneously guides the armrest along theadjusting direction, and wherein the armrest is connectable through theat least one connecting element to the transfer member which is movablewithin the at least one guide in the vehicle longitudinal direction. 2.The armrest assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit andthe transfer member are mounted as an adjusting mechanism on a commonsupport which is fixable on a supporting part of a vehicle door.
 3. Thearmrest assembly according to claim 2, wherein the drive unit andtransfer member form one structural unit which generates an adjustingmovement of the transfer member when the drive unit is activated.
 4. Thearmrest assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, furthercomprising an inside door trim and wherein an adjustment of a positionof the armrest is carried out so that the armrest is movable along theadjusting direction without the armrest causing the inside door trim tobulge during the adjustment.
 5. An armrest assembly for a motor vehicledoor, comprising: an armrest positionally adjustable through a driveunit; a transfer member to which the armrest is connectable and which ismovable along an adjusting direction of the armrest when the drive unitis activated; and an elastic element, wherein the armrest is furtherpositionally adjustable in at least one of a vehicle longitudinaldirection and a further direction that is perpendicular to the vehiclelongitudinal direction and perpendicular to the adjusting direction ofthe armrest and wherein the elastic element aligns the armrest in thefurther direction.
 6. The armrest assembly according to claim 1, whereinthe armrest engages with a guide element of the at least one guide. 7.The armrest assembly according to claim 5, further comprising an indoortrim and wherein the elastic element is mounted between the indoor trimand the armrest or transfer member.
 8. The armrest assembly according toclaim 5 or 7, wherein a distance between the armrest or the transfermember, and an indoor trim is adjustable by deformation of the elasticelement.
 9. The armrest assembly according to claim 5, furthercomprising a connecting element through which the armrest is connectableto the transfer member and wherein the elastic element is deformed bythe connecting element.
 10. The armrest assembly according to claim 1,wherein the connecting element is movable within the spacer element inthe vehicle longitudinal direction.
 11. The armrest assembly accordingto claim 1, further comprising a guide frame disposed along an edge ofthe guide.
 12. The armrest assembly according to claim 1, wherein theguide is disposed in an inside door trim.
 13. The armrest assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein the guide extends between the transfermember and the armrest.
 14. An armrest assembly for a motor vehicledoor, comprising: an armrest positionally adjustable through a driveunit; an indoor trim; and a transfer member to which the armrest isconnectable and which is movable along an adjusting direction of thearmrest when the drive unit is activated, wherein the armrest is furtherpositionally adjustable in at least one of a vehicle longitudinaldirection and a further direction that is perpendicular to the vehiclelongitudinal direction and perpendicular to the adjusting direction ofthe armrest, and the transfer member and the armrest are mounted onopposed sides of the indoor trim.
 15. The armrest assembly according toclaim 9, further comprising a spacer element wherein the connectingelement acts through the spacer element on the elastic element whichencompasses the connecting element.
 16. An armrest assembly for a motorvehicle door, comprising an armrest positionally adjustable through adrive unit: a transfer member to which the armrest is connectable andwhich is movable along an adjusting direction of the armrest when thedrive unit is activated; a gearing mounted on an output side of thedrive unit and which includes at least one gear part movable in theadjusting direction; and fixing mechanism disposed on the gear part andwhich fix the transfer member, wherein the armrest is furtherpositionally adjustable in at least one of a vehicle longitudinaldirection and a further direction that is perpendicular to the vehiclelongitudinal direction and perpendicular to the adjusting direction ofthe armrest.
 17. The armrest assembly according to claim 16, furthercomprising a guide rail and wherein the gear part is movable along theguide rail.
 18. The armrest assembly according to claim 16, wherein thegear part is mounted in a guide rail.
 19. The armrest assembly accordingto claim 16, wherein the gearing comprises a spindle or rack and piniongearing.
 20. The armrest assembly according to claim 2, wherein thecommon support includes at least one guide rail on which the transfermember is guided.
 21. The armrest assembly according to claim 20,wherein a slide device is provided on the at least one guide rails andguide the transfer member.
 22. The armrest assembly according to claim20 or 21, wherein the at least one guide rail comprises two guide railswhich each extend in the adjusting direction of the armrest.
 23. Thearmrest assembly according to claim 2, wherein the common support has amounting unit for mounting the drive unit.
 24. The armrest assemblyaccording to claim 23, wherein the mounting unit surrounds the driveunit in part.
 25. A method for mounting an armrest assembly having anadjustable armrest, the method comprising: providing a motor vehicledoor including an armrest assembly having an armrest and a door trim,the armrest adjustable in an adjustment direction and connectable to amoveable transfer member; and adjusting the armrest relative to the doortrim in at least one of a vehicle longitudinal direction and a furtherdirection perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinal direction andperpendicular to the adjusting direction, wherein the adjusting of thearmrest in the further direction includes deforming an elastic element.26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the adjusting in thevehicle longitudinal direction is carried out by a guide.
 27. The methodaccording to claim 25, wherein the providing step includes theadjustment direction being substantially vertical.
 28. The armrestassembly according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting direction issubstantially vertical.
 29. The armrest assembly according to claim 1,wherein the armrest is disposed on the motor vehicle door, and ispositionally adjustable and further positionally adjustable relative tothe motor vehicle door.